The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-02
THE FAR NORTH.
GLIMPSES OF LIFE AMONG THE
ESQUIMAUN.
A Hospitable People With Tremen'
dous Appctites-Interior of Their
Snow HOuscs-Seal oil Lamps
Women Chewing Boots.

J. w. Tyrrell, recently returned from
an expedition to the Hudson Bay terri
tory, said in the course of a lecture at
Toronto: In appearance an Esqulmau
somewhat resembles Chinaman, but has
o darker skin. lie is short, stout, full
faced, very oily and rather odorous, but
genial and full of hospitality. To a
stranger some of their customs seem
strange and perhaps a little barbarous',
! but as one becomes acquainted with
them these notions gradually fade away:
Their food, perhaps from choice, but
also from necessity, is raw flesh, being
that of seals, walrus and reindeer, chief
ly; but sea and land birds. and occasion
ally polar bear also contribute to the
Esouimau's larder. To a sensitive per-
SON have no doubt that it would be a
repulsive sight to see, for instance. two
or three Esquimau children en. Dying
what would here be called feast. This
would probably be newly-killed duck,
which, after being stripped of few OF
the larger aud moreindigestible feathers,
would be torn to pieces and disposed OF
so quickly that, if it were not for GER
tain percentage of blood and feathers
which remain about the mouths of the
consumers. one could scarcely tell what
became of it. When an Esquimau faml
ly gathers around to enjoy meal, their
food is treated in the same way, but per
haps on larger scale. A seal would
probably replace the bird, but from it
the skin would first be cut, and laid
down to form dish for the reception OF
the liquid and most highly valued part
of the animal. From this basin the mem.
bers of the family dip with skin cups, or
very often some of my old meat cans,
and from the carcass hack and carve with
their knives, not until they have had
sufficient, but, rs rule, until there is
nothing left but the skin and cleaned
bones. I have seen family of four sit
down about newly-killed seal, and
in about: ten minutes dispatch the
whole of it. This was not at time
when they were hungry, but when they
were being we'll fed from my storehouse
You may think that this does not speak
we'll for my liberality in dealing out sup
plies, but assure you that an Esquimau
can eat almost an unlimited amount at
any time. A whaling Captain who win
tered about seventy miles west Of where
was stationed told me that a quarter OF
reindeer formed very average lunch for
an Esouimau. On one occasion which L
know of, when large number of natives
were engaged in great feast en- the skin
of whale, one old lady ate to such ex-
cess that she became helpless and, as her
friends thought, soon died. They, out
of respect to the old lady, trailed her out
to convenient place and covered her up
with snow. The time when this hap.
pened was about the middle of May, so
that the frost was not very severe, but,
/ should think. would be sufficient to
cause rheumatism. Whether it did or
not do not know, but after having lain
dormant three days the corpse kicked of
the snow and came out ready to resume
her debauch.
In the ATTITUDES of which I am spelk-
ing the natives live in snow for about
seven months-from the middle of
October to the middle of May and the
rest of the time in seal toepicks, o sort
of wigwam. An average snow house,
which is built in the form of dome, ls
twelve feet in diameter and eight feet
high, and is approached by a succession
O: three smaller domes connected by low
arches just large enough for man to
crawl through. This long entrance,
containing the air spaces, serves very
effectually to keep out the cold air and
drifting snow, and also affords shelter
for their many dogs, which not only
contribute warmth to the residence, but
also perfume. With regard to the inte-
rior of the dwelling compartment about
one-third Of the lloor-that next the front
or entrance is three feet lower than the
back, which is simply solid bunch OF
snow. This more elevated part Is
covered with deer skins, and is the place
where the occupants sit or sleep. The
lower space is used just as we would use
hall. In the wall over the entrance arch
way is good sized window about two
feet in diameter, made of slab
of clear ice, and during daylight it ad-
mits good strong light. At night the
iglows are lighted by two large lamps,
which are kept one on either side of the
doorway. They consist of large shall
low dishes cut out of stone, commonly
soapstone, but sometimes granite. Along
one side of the dish narrow row OF rot
ten, dried moss is arranged to form
wick, and this absorbs the oil which is
supplied to the lamp on the selffceding
principle, by hanging over it at sutfi.
cient he ght above the flame of the lamp
quantity of seal blubber. The heat
from the lamp renders the oil from the
fat and it drips into the basin of the
lamp. The supply of oil is regulated by
shifting the po ,ition of the fat. Cn ac-
count of the Esquimau's ways Of living
the interior Of his house soon becomes
rather repulsivc in appearance and odor
by being smeared with blood and satu.
rated with oil, but one soon learns to ac-
commodate himself to circumstances and
to overlook slight discomforts in the pur-
suit of absolute necessities.
A somewhat peculiar pastime, or rather
occupation, of the Esquimau women is
that of chewing their own and their hus-
bands boots. The boots or moccasins
are usually made of sealskin. and have
long tops reaching to the knees. The
hair is always remo7ed from the skin
of which the foot is made, but not al
ways from the upper part. However,
the point which l want to bring out is
this. that after having been wet and
again dried they become very hard, and
the only or most effective, or possibly
the most agreeable, way of softcning
them snnms to he hy chewing them